5 Reasons Why We Chose a Travel Trailer Over a 5th Wheel 

I love how you are so rational in your thought processes for weekend warriors. It’s a great reality check along with your practicality. God’s peace...

1st rv was an old travel trailer, which I loved, i was tired of tent camping with small kids, but my husband hated pulling it, scared him to death, even with a great tow bar thingy. Got a fifth wheel 32' 5" bunkhouse and we love it, its easy for him to tow, its an ultra light, the bunks in the back with a half bath and we have a queen, with a great sized bathroom. You just have to do a lot of searching and you will find the rv that is right for you :D

Truck bed access was HUGE for us. We own a video production company and do work for clients around the country. So of us having a truck bed to haul gear in was a must have.

As the very proud and excited owner of a new 2020 Kodiak 201qb (I’m a 58 year old single female), I really appreciate this video!! I absolutely love my travel trailer!!! The Grand Designs are beautiful, I agree. The Kodiak I found suited me perfectly. I’ve owned Class A’s and 5th wheels but because I didn’t want to buy a 3/4 ton pick up and lose the bed room in it, I chose a travel trailer. I love it!

We love our travel trailer! Especially when you go to places like Blue Ridge Parkway and can go through all the tunnels!! And cannot with a fifth wheel! Doris & Doug Chattanooga Tennessee

We loved our 29 foot travel trailer which we bought new in 2010, and used it a lot while pulling it with a half ton Tundra. We changed to a new 1 ton RAM Cummins 3500 as we wanted a larger couples 5th wheel. My favorite thing is the confidence in towing feel with the 5th wheel, not to mention the luxury and comfort. Yes, I'd like to have my truck bed for storage, but I ordered my RAM with the Ram Boxes and we love it. Biggest trade off is 5th wheel confidence in drivability and ease of backing into a tight spot, yet I lose my truck bed. Great video, and happy camping.

I figured you’d say one of the main reasons for a bumper pull is that it can be towed with any appropriately sized vehicle. I pull our 24' Salem with a 3/4 ton 4x4 Suburban. I love a pickup but for families etc. the room in a Burb Is priceless. I did swear I’d never pull a TT again after spinning our 28’ Ridgeline around and turning it over on ice a few years ago but I ended up with our Salem because it was suitable for just us two and almost free. Since our accident I’m an advocate for “The bigger, the better” when it comes to tow vehicles. I honestly believe if we’d been towing with a pickup that night it would’ve turned the truck over but the weight of the Suburban kept us upright. It ripped the hitch ball right out of the front of the trailer tongue. I’ve been a truck driver for 25 years so I’m looking at a good used semi so I can pull anything I want safely in the future. Good video. I like how you’re covering a variety of subjects that relate to us weekend warriors.

We're trying to decide on a travel vehicle/home just in general right now, so getting to hear your guy's opinions is very helpful. Thanks ☺

Use of the bed of the truck is a major thing. That can also count for storage.

Thank you for your video. I grew up in scouting, and a marching band so I've camped since I could walk, but with my father being a scout leader, it was always tent camping. I bought my own 1st camper 6 years ago, a StarCraft popup, and, my wife, my kids and I were hooked. I will admit I enjoyed the 24mpg I got pulling my popup, but with 2 teenagers, and a dog, space was an invaluable commodity. Last spring I upgraded to a hybrid, and my wife and I started talking about retirement, me, I was looking at an SUV and popup or hybrid, my wife, at 5th wheels and toy haulers. Even with the limitations of 5th wheels, I still can't persuade her out of anything under 40 feet (I'm looking at 28-35 feet preferably TT, but a nice 5th would be okay too) I love the way you emphasize the height and length limits. (what I'm trying to push hard on). Any how, thank you for your info :)

Pt #6. Vehicle Selection. With a 5th Wheel you're forced into a pickup truck. TT allow you to own a Tahoe/Suburban/Excursion. etc, OR a pickup

All good points. In fact most of them are why I went Class C 5 years ago (Used) when upgrading from a pop up instead of a TT. We're regional weekenders; Drive. Back In. Into Park. Level Up. Done! But when we go full time it is no question, 5th wheel bunk house, bath and a half. You touched on something other channels have stressed; when looking at any rig with slides...look at it with slides both opened AND closed.

Great video, overview and comments. While this is always a personal choice for sure, I have owned both TT and 5th, living in the prairies and dealing with severe wind at times, the 5th tows better. Even with our previous TT and using sway control, in the prairie winds it was difficult. Based on price, a key point to save $$, buy at year end just like cars, when the new model arrives the dealer is motivated to sell last year model. An example, we purchased a new 2016 in fall 2017 and saved considerably. I could sell it now for what I paid, the key when buying never be in a rush. Always a personal choice for sure and ultimately what fits the need and budget. Happy camping and safe travels!

We like to boondock on forest roads and small campgrounds. 5th wheels are 11+ feet high and just love tree branches.

We've owned both over the years and ended up with a class B plus 22 footer. Fits in most parking spots and don't have to unhook and the challenges of backing up into spaces. I also love the fact that we are already inside the unit and don't have to go out when cold and rainy. Thanks for the video

I completely agree with you especially floor plans vs size

Excellent and well thought out. In my research for my first trailer I came across a common theme and many owners of fifth wheels eventually downsize to a smaller trailer for ease of parking and towing. I decided to cut to the chase and do what the veterans did. Purchased an Airstream 23'fb. While snug, it fits my wife and daughter perfectly without wasted space and towing was a breeze with a Blue ox weight distribution hitch. On that particular model the storage sucks but the bed of the truck is fine with a job/tool box which I feel more secure than anything from a tiny lock on a trailer. Fits in my driveway too in the suburbs.

Totally agree with all five points. Even the point about wanting a camper that looks good wasn't silly.

Great video, thanks for putting together. We've gone back and forth so many times between TT and 5er and now thet we're just weeks away from pulling the trigger on full timing, I think we've settled on the TT. Price and truck bed storage are the main factors for us. And the current technologies in anti-sway distribution hitches makes all the difference.

I am super proficient at backing any bumper tow trailer. I've done it daily with my business for 40 years. I bought my first fiver last year and immediately realized that I have to learn how to back up all over again. The hitch being over the rear axel makes the backing action completely different and more delayed. I bought a new F450 (with the tighter turn radius) to help mitigate that delayed turning, but I still feel like an amateur. The height of the fiver is 13' 3", which won't fit in my 13' bay garage door so it must be kept under a cover outside. It does have it's drawbacks, but as I get accustomed to it I'm hoping it was the right decision.

Well said. Our good friends have a 5th wheel and dually and often complain about the size and storage. When we started looking around for our first RV several things had to check the boxes off: #1 was towability, #2 was price and #3 was floorplan. I wasn't about to spend $70,000 or more on a huge truck. So we wound up with a 2018 RAM Rebel (1500) and a 2018 Imagine 2150RB with a 14,400 Equal-i-zer hitch. That setup is right near the towing limits if fully loaded; however, it's just my wife and I and we only carry about 50% of the rated payloads. Steep hills are floorboard at times and still 10 mpg overall. I kinda wish I had a diesel for that, but so far, so good! We love our Grand Design! Thanks!

It certainly is a personal decision. We love the looks, towability, storage and yes floor plan of our GD TT. We wanted all the living space to be on one level without the step of a fifth wheel. Also, to your good point, didn't want to lose the truck bed to the wheel. I think we agree on your choices as well!

We have both. We live full time in a Grand Design 367 BHS (41' 5th wheel $55K). We only move this thing when we want to move our central location. Taking this thing out is not "camping", ok? It's is a PIA to deal with moving it since we live in it and the size of it is difficult to deal with at times. Living in it is great, though, with 2 bedrooms, full size fridge, huge pantry, comfortable furniture, and high ceilings. For going camping, we have a Forest River Rockwood Mini-Lite 2109S ($16K). It is perfect for 2-people to take camping. EVERYTHING is usable with the slide IN. If we want to pull off and use the bathroom, kitchen, bed, no problem without even putting the slide out. It is an all season unit, well constructed, 2 axle, and we camp when it's down to 20 degrees at night. Being that we tow it with a big ol' diesel truck, no special hitch is required (just 8" drop) and it only squats the truck an inch. Tows like a dream... zero sway, truck stays in high gear up hills and has exhaust brake for downhill. The truck with trailer attached probably accelerates as well as my wife's Jeep does. I forget it's back there. 5th wheel -- You lose the truck bed. TT-- The truck bed is still available. For a family just going camping, You don't need a great big 5th wheel and a dually. That's for the "campground contest" of who has the biggest rig. We pull in in a 21' TT and say, "YOU WIN!". We don't do this to impress anyone. We camp EVERY DAY.

Thank you so much for this video. This is the first video I watched from your channel. 750 subscribers and now you're at 67K! Way to go! This is huge insight on our decision on if we want to get a travel trailer or a 5th wheel. I can only imagine the amount of improvements they've made since this video. I'm excited to continue learning more about them!

Great video! We just bought our first camper. It's a little travel trailer. We love it. It's two of us and we camped for 9 days the weekend after we bought it. We both had to go to work and this little camper worked out great for us. (We were camping 1/2 from both of our jobs.)

Although you're speaking mostly of the larger "family" units, another point is to consider is that if you just want a smaller "couples" camper that's also high quality, there's nothing really out there for 5th wheels. Our kids are gone and we've jumped back into the world of camping, a smaller travel trailer fit the bill for us perfectly. Nice video, thanks.

Some things I choose travel trailers over 5th wheels: Height Weight Floorplan Use of truck bed Can't tow a 5th wheel with lifted truck 5th wheels require a MUCH larger payload tow vehicle than a travel trailer.

My fiance and I first absolutely knew we needed a fifth wheel then after a while studying them we decided that we needed a class c absolutely knew it, then after a while studying them we settled on a travel trailer just picked one up last week 297 rsts reflection Grand design. I'll let you know in the future if we are happy. What I know is we are happy now. I agree with all your points. And technology has come a long way with sway control.

Nice video. Lots of valid points. I am also a weekend warrior and believe in the same things that you spoke about. It was nice to hear somebody stand on the same ground as myself. Keep up the good work bud

Another great video! I more or less live in a travel trailer for 6 -7 months of the year. Mine is slightly larger than yours (36') but pretty similar. It's a bunkhouse with 3 slides. For me to get the same square footage in a 5th wheel would have been $20,000 more. I use mine for work, with 1-2 guys staying with me most of the time. The only other point I would make in the pro column which you did touch on a little bit goes to the bumper hitch. Everyone I know with a pickup has a bumper hitch. Not everyone has a goose neck or 5th wheel plate in their truck. That's pretty important if you ever get in a bind and need someone to tow your trailer for you should your tow vehicle ever get disabled. One major thing I notice is a lot of people who tow travel trailers don't set their vehicles up correctly. If the truck is squatted too much and the trailer isn't level then of course it isn't going to have very good manners. If they don't have enough springs or air bags, some sort of sway control or load equalizer hitch then it's not going to be fun to tow at all.

It all gets down to personal preference. I have owned one pop-up, three bumper mount units and am on my second fiver. I prefer the current fiver with front living because my wife and I, with two dogs, are full timers. I pull with a F350 long bed with a cross bed tool box, and still have plenty of space in the bed for accessories with room to spare. Organization is the key. The camper has ample storage inside and room to spare in the basement. We did a lot of research until we found what we thought would fit our lifestyle. No regrets now and plan to keep it.

I drive a motorhome and tow a van behind it. I would say with any of these options, be very careful. I've seen motorhomes and trailers get squirrelly at higher speed, especially in crosswind. Once they get away from you, recovery is not likely. Slow down from the beginning and give space for the car in front of you.

I’ve done walk thrus of older small fifth wheel trailers and liked what I saw. The Casita fifth wheel can be pulled by any half ton. I like fifth wheels best as toy haulers. It does take a $60,000 pickup to pull one with a couple of motorcycles and keeping your bike inside is a nice safe option

Great points. We also have an Imagine. However, here's what I'd say. 1) Towability -- you don't need a 3/4 ton truck to tow it, especially if you need to use that vehicle day to day. 2) As you said vehicle bed use, especially for those of us who can't store ours at home 3) Bang for buck -- for those of us who don't rv full time or only limited number of times a year

I'm a 5th wheel guy, but you make some great points. Thanks for the video.

We have had a popup, 2 travel trailers, and 2 fifth wheels over the years. They all have the pros and cons depending on your preferences so I'm not going to say one is better that the other. We currently are in the fifth wheel club and for us it's a good fit.

Agree 100%! I also weighed the pros and cons of both travel trailers and fifth wheels and went with a travel trailer.

Great video! We have an imagine 3170bh and love it! Spot on with with everything you said. We're towing with a 2500HD gaser with no problems, just added airlift airbags to accompany the blue ox WDH. Definitely recommend. Safe travels 🍻

I agree on every point. I've been there and done that. After RVing for over 20 years and I've had both. I'll never go back to a 5th wheel. I got sick of moving that behemoth around. 5vers are over rated and over priced for the square footage of living space you get. Height clearance issues and 20% heavier than travel trailers per square foot. I went back to a travel trailer and suddenly it's fun again.

Cool, I love my 5th wheel. Saying that I do miss having ALL of my pickup bed.

Thanks for taking the time to share this thought process. I got a kick out of your first reason. :)

I agree / we did the same and chose a travel trailer over a fifth wheel. My truck came from the factory with 5th wheel prep. I didn't want a toy hauler, just didn't like the layouts and still wanted to be able to use my truck bed for ( Atvs, Motorcycle, Kayaks, etc).

I need to put this vid infront of my wife. We are exploring the idea of RVing and I"m analyzing everything. What I'm seeing is that if we go the 5th wheel route, we are investing HUGE dollars in the trailer and HUGE dollars in a 1 ton DRW diesel. My mind is telling me to look at a GD travel trailer and a 3/4 ton as a much more economical solution without giving up tremendous creature comforts.

We have toy hauler travel trailer. We went with that to have access to the bed of our truck and we found a perfect floor plan. Thank you for this video.

Great presentation and a personal common sense view . #4 is my main reason. Just purchased a new 29’,one slide with a great Arctic package....Seems it will work out fine. Thanks

They are both better than sitting at home and watching TV.

Being 6'3", I would have to say the biggest factor for me choosing a 5th wheel is the living room ceiling height. I like to be able to stretch out from time to time and the travel trailers just don't have the head room to do so. A down side to the 5er while towing is that it cuts inside the turn of the truck significantly versus a TT that follows the truck more closely. But, if i was in your shoes, just using it on the weekends it would be just fine. Its when you live in it full time when it really becomes an issue...

This is like your fourth or fifth video I've watched. I love that the comments are always the opposite position of your video. You like, comment, and compliment the people regardless. I respect a healthy debate with an open mind. There's no end to this debate for sure just like the diesel vs gas one. I have a bumper pull toy hauler with a anti-sway weight distributing hitch and have zero problems, worries, concerns. I've pulled 5ers for thousands of miles too, but they're a pain in the ass in their own way. How many trucks have you seen with the tailgate with the two smashed sides from a trailer not having its stands down? The wobble in the front (where most beds are) is worse unless you have a tripod or the truck hooked up to stabilize. They're heavy - bigger truck, more fuel per mile. We had a 2 year old when we bought ours and didn't want any stairs for the little one to navigate. I might have another 5er and I might have another bumper hitch. Who knows :) happy travels.

#4 Yes. Related to access to bed of truck, I like to keep a camper shell on my truck.

Just bought my second grand design imagine , I would say you are exactly right, I use airbags with a equalizer weight distribution hitch and i never have sway where I’m in a white knuckle situation, great video

My wife Jo-Ann and I purchased a 2019 Outdoors RV mfg. Mountain Timber Ridge 24RKS just before Thanksgiving. We are going full time RVing as soon as our house sells. We wanted to stay with a smaller travel trailer so we'll be able to fit just about anywhere.

You make some good points, I just prefer the height of the fifth wheels. My wife and I bought ours. We looked at both options and the height in the travel trailer is just to low for us in my opinion. The fifth wheel even has a ceiling fan in ours.

We're first time rv'ers with zero experience. We decided on a TT bunkhouse 21ft with a dry weight of 4000lbs. That way, if we decide to go bigger we can sell it to people that own suvs and not just those with pickup trucks. 5th wheels have bad resale in our area likely because there is a much smaller market (because you have to own a 3/4ton or larger unless youre a heroic half ton owner).

Had a 33 foot fifth wheel with crew cab 1 ton diesel truck different varieties for 20 years in 2008.went to gas truck and travel trailer with equalizer hitch and have never look back great video

The only reason I prefer a TT over a 5er is the tow vehicle required. I own a 1/2 ton Ram pickup. And a 1/2 ton is what most ppl own. Aside from a smaller couples 5er which I believe are too cramped for my taste, you will need 3/4 ton or higher when you want to pull a bigger more spacious 5er. These HD trucks are more expensive and not to mention when you are not pulling your 5er, you are stuck driving that truck everywhere. Nice video.

Wow. You were up to 750 subscribers at the time this video was made. As of today, 10/06/20, you're up to 24.7k! Good job. :)

In my state you need weighted registration/tags to pull a fifth wheel, regular tags to pull a travel trailer.

I have a 2005 29 foot 5er and love it, the only one I miss is the truck bed. Have had both and will not go back.

you mentioned length and towability and how your bunkhouse design compares to a 37 foot fifth wheel. The flip side is that your imagine 3000QB is 30 feet +3 foot trailer tongue plus 20.8 feet F250 club cab for a total of 53.8 feet. I found a forum post where someone measured their 37 foot fifth wheel plus truck and it was 52.5 feet. A larger fifth wheel will still have a shorter length because of the pickup bed overhang and lack of a conventional trailer tongue. 37 foot fifth wheel will be roughly 355 square feet with sliders, compared to your 280 sqaure feet with sliders.

Most 5th wheels are taller, like 13' or 13' 3" and a travel trailer is 11'6" tall. So low hanging tree branches going into a State Park will not damage the roof as easily.

Another issue with a 5th wheel trailer is you need a pickup to tow it or buy an adapter to tow with a large SUV. Not everybody wants a pickup...some like large SUVs...so a 5th wheel is mostly off the table then.

We have a 5th wheel Jayco 29.5BHDS that's supposed to be rated for a half ton truck. It weighs right at 10k lbs loaded, so we tow with an F250. We consider ourselves part timers because we're gone at least 1 week a month (We home school). If we were to go full time, I would probably buy a TT because the bed of the truck would be prime real estate and the weight distribution hitches have come a long way in the past few years since we bought our 5er. My parents have the Equallizer 4.0 that does an amazing job with sway control. Good luck.

Thank you for you input on 5th wheels vs travel trailers. We are upgrading from an older pop-up & thinking of purchasing the 3100 RD. My husband likes the enterainmnent room on it, but hoping I won't regret getting a bunkhouse for the grandkids.

Price was a major consideration for us, making sure the truck we had was good and also the height of fifth wheels. Friend of mine has to trim branches to park his 5th wheel. Can do without that when I’m camping.

I firmly believe the biggest disadvantage of a 5th wheel over a Travel Trailer is overall hight! I've personally seen a driver have and issue every time I've gone camping. if it's not an train trestle in some type of residential area, or a bike path overhead its trees that are not trimmed properly. Not to mention there are very few that can be safely handled by a 1/2 ton truck! Plus it's possible to use a good old American full-sized Van to tow a Travel Trailer, that can more than make up for any storage shortcomings!

I like your videos. This is my second one. The first one was why you traded in your diesel truck for a gas. As for fifth wheels, I think the height is a major problem. Some of those newer fifth wheelers going down the highway look so tall! Thanks, Ram

Good video! I think the keys to a good towing experience with a travel trailer are weight distributing hitch (I use an Equalizer hitch), good trailer tires ( I switched to Goodyear Endurance tires), proper loading and proper tow vehicle. I towed my 261bhxl to PA from MN with a 17 Durango and it did well, the trailer tire change made a huge difference in sway and stability. Congratulations on the growth of your channel, I just discovered it and enjoy your content!

Also need to look at the places you’ll stay. Some of the national parks better sites have size limitations. Sometimes anything over 30 can’t get into the better parts of parks.

Well done. I love my 3-year-old travel trailer. It's only 27 ft, tows easily, and easy to maneuver. I just wish I would have purchased a slide-out model for the extra room inside.

Solid points.. for us traveling Fulltime I wanted the most stable (while towing) yet large enough for our family. We also bought used and found a great deal on ours vs a new TT or 5er! GD or Airstream would be our only choices for TT. Merry Christmas!

We just traded our fifth wheel for a pull behind upgraded 5 years both about same length time it was done only had about 2000$ difference. Only reason we did was I was limited to pulling it with only 2 of my pickups . with a pull behind I can pull it with any of 8 farm trucks we have .

trading in our 38 2018 cougar bhs fifthwheel for a small travel trailer , bought our fifthwheel in 2017 . our mistake was to go big and no truck bed storage. love your points

I don’t like 5th wheels. Don’t like the shape and the height. I like the 5th wheel towing system, that I do like. Better than a regular hitch.

Informative and not time wasting video...Great presentation...Thanks.

The #1 reason I have a fifth wheel is the way it tows. Most of my trips are in high elevation windy western states.

on towing, I don't think 5th wheels are sitting still on towing technology, but I hear you. Have you seen the curt suspension system on the Ember Overlanders? When that catches on, the TT are going to be darn near on par with 5th wheels from a towing perspective.

I agree with many of your points dude :). Especially the looks. However, after towing a 5th wheel, I'll never go back to a bumper pull unless it's a itty bitty single axle to drag hunting. I'm curious though on where you got your pricing. I bought my 2011 28' Rockwood Signature 5th wheel new with all the bells and whistles for $29k with a slider hitch installed. Granted my bed is now utterly useless but the tailer has a folding storage tray on the back for my generator etc.

Surprised you didnt mention the main reason ( besides box access ) that we've stuck with TTs. And that is mobility over uneven or rough terrain. The travel trailer can articulate much better than a 5th wheel. Without the fair of running your box up into the bottom of your 5th wheel. :-)

I’m glad I found this video. We just picked up a Winnebago micro Minnie bunkhouse travel trailer and I didn’t even know there was fifth wheel envy! LOL thanks for the video and we are subscribing! looking forward to more great content from you and your family.

I got caught in a cross wind pulling a bumper pull for about 200 miles and I made myself a promise never to feel that anxiety again!

Good points made in this video, as well in the comments. Personally I’d prefer to but a 5th wheel. Of course they cost more. You’re for more engineering, a much more industrial-utilitarian design. Naturally, if more people buy standard hitch mount trailers, there will be a bigger resale demand for those. If I buy a 5th wheel, I have to be dedicated to my purchase and looking at keeping it, not the resale. (Kinda like if you buy a car with mostly resale in mind, you are less likely to put high mileage on it.) True, 5th wheels are harder to the, hence the need for a tow rig that is 1-ton or bigger. I think 5th wheels are a safer tow, easier to back up and maneuver in campgrounds, and easier to mount & dismount, once you establish a system. I happen to prefer 5th wheel floor plan. I like climbing up a few steps to the loft master bedroom. When I buy a 5th wheel it will be the toy-hauler type with versatile rear cargo space/ ramped garage area. Many of those also have conversion systems for beds or a large bed that lowers from the ceiling. I do appreciate this video, but for me, 5th wheels make more sense. I can understand that weekend camping is much different than full-time RV living. My hopes are full-time, with membership to several campgrounds. 5th wheel trailers: They cost more, “you get what you pay for..”

Im with you on the travel trailer, I had a TT, then a 5th wheel and I then went back to a TT, I can park any one just as good or bad at times, but I had a good setup with a F-350 with a B&W companion hitch and still it chucked going down the road. The fiver is a lot roomer in a shorter package but I personally see it as something to fulltime or live in plus it is so tall, lol more to wash and wax

Looking for one of the two but this video has me back in the middle of the road. Nice video and good info.

Great Video! I have been working on my own list of pros and cons...this helps a bunch!

Am set up similar to you! 26.5 ft bumper pull with no bunks,A.R.E. Tonneau cover,Blue Ox pulled by 2500 6.7 Cummins! Wouldn’t have any other way! Happy New Year!!

Generally a trailer requires less payload capacity.

Only thing I like more about fifth Wheels is the head room and bigger showers. Being in a family where I’m the shortest man at 6’3”, most TT are just not tall enough and showers are real short. There are several exceptions, but fifth wheel definitely win there.

I bought my latest RV, last year, new instead of used as I have in the past. We are now (mostly) new "empty-nesters" so we did not/do not need bunks and such to accommodate more than just the two of us on a regular basis. In our new rig we wanted a comfortable living space with his/hers recliners, we wanted a comfortable to use bathroom, we wanted two entry doors and we did not want a slide on the curbside and the largest possible awning since we spend as much time outside as possible. We are not fulltimers and likely will not be for another 5-7 years if at all. Both or us are tall so headroom is also a consideration. We certainly did not need a 35+ long RV and actually wanted to keep the size a small as possible to allow more access to state/federal parks. At the time I had a 2006 RAM Mega-Cab 1500HD so I had a 10K max pull capability. I have purchased a '19 F250 SD (no worries my Ram brethren...did not trade in the Ram...thats my daily driver!) but at the time I wanted to stay within the capability of my truck. We did start looking at fivers but unless I wanted to go with the larger units, the bedroom areas required me to hunch over...there was no standing straight up. This was a no go for my wife I may add. The other issue that very few were light enough to be towed with the RAM and those that were lacked a suitable floor plan....these revelations quickly moved us off the 5th wheel and back to trailers. There were a lot more choices and we found the right combination of weight, floor plan, and cost that met our criteria. So my story aside....start your journey to purchasing an RV with a list of requirements. What do you need in features, floor plan, cost considerations, tow vehicle requirements and must haves. Let those move you to the RV type that "checks those boxes". If you go in with no expectations and game plan, you will quickly be overwhelmed by all the new RV's with all the pretty "bells and whistles" and possibly end up with a rig that does not measure up. Sales people are there to sell you a rig and they will smile and nod at everything. Their job is to sell you an RV...your job is to know what you want and need and stick with the plan. You may want a 5th wheel but you may find a TT meets more of your needs....or maybe a Class C or B that you may not have looked at initially! I may add that I have towed both 5th wheels (most agriculteral), travel trailers and even owned a Class A. Each brought something different to the table. I can tell you that if you size your tow vehicle to properly match your RV, and spend a few bucks on a good hitch system, a travel trailer will tow excellent. Additionally there is no guarantee that a 5th wheel will tow better either especially if the trailer is overloaded or the tow vehicle is under or at capacity. The tow rating on your vehicle is not a goal...it is the max rating of that vehicle and the closer you get to max, the more any handling issues will be amplified. DO NOT expect your RV sales person to guide you through this part of the decision process. Know your numbers, because ultimately you will have to live with the rig, not the sales person. So really I have 1 Reason I bought my RV....it met my needs. Great video and thank you for sharing and starting the conversation!

Weight distribution hitches have gotten better not the trailers. pull a bumper pull without W/D and you will see that it is the hitch doing all the work. Plus most newer trucks can handle more than 500 pounds without a W/D hitch, not the case with an older truck add that with most newer trucks have boxed frames adding to stiffness and stability. Pull a new trailer without the w/d and it will not be fun. I have had a bumper pull and have a current 5th wheel. The 5th pulls way better than the bumper pull ever could. The other thing is the physics of the weight. The 5th wheels weight is dead center over the rear axle and the pivot point is much different than the weight hanging off the bumper. You need to live with a 5th wheel and you will see the difference. I am guilty of the same justification, but it was gas vs diesel for me. Yes, a gas engine will work and get the job done. A diesel will do it much better and with more confidence. A diesel was designed to work. You will never see a gas engine semi truck, why because even if there was a cost advantage. The gas engine would never take the duty cycle a semi runs. Industry standard diesel warranty 250,000 miles. You can easily swing 400k-600k miles before an in frame needs to be done. Gas engine would be toast before it hits a 100k. Sorry for the rant. Good videos, keep them coming 🍻🍻

As someone who has towed trailers of all kinds for the past 40 years I would chose a 5th wheel for ONE compelling reason! The increased stability! Yes, it requires a pickup truck with some heft! However, anything heavier that 6-7,000 lbs deserves to be pulled by something with some heft! I operated a nation wide equine transport company for some years. Averaged 10-12,000 miles a month. I saw numerous trailer wrecks! All but one involved a "bumper pull" trailer, and usually an inadequate tow vehicle! The one gooseneck/5th wheel wreck I came upon was the tow vehicle was hit by an out of control car, causing the driver of the truck pulling the trailer to loose control! It did remain right side up! I would never have considered pulling 12,000 lbs of trailer and horses with anything other than a gooseneck! Bumper pulls are much more apt to become the tail that wags the dog.

Love our Minnie 2500fl, we are retired and it fits us perfect, living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom. Nothing extra! Easy to tow, great floor plan and a quality build by Winnebago.

Hahaha, the 5th wheels definitely look unpleasant, especially when not being towed and are parked alone. Every single thing you mentioned is exactly why I love my 2015 bunk bed, 22 foot travel trailer. I absolutely want my truck bed free and clear, plus I have roof rack system on truck for hauling my over 20 foot long kayaks and gear. Happy and safe RVing

Height of 5th wheel 13ft 6 -Airstream 9 ft 9 inch Max weight of 5r 16500-Airstream 7300. We get 13.5 mpg of diesel and have no problem on switchbacks, s curves or hills, my preferred towing speed is 55 / 60 mph. 35,000 miles so far and we have been to every state except Utah and Alaska, we might cross those off in 2019.

Good points! The cab high camper shell I have is great in combo with my 21 ft travel trailer. Can’t have that with a 5th wheel. Covered storage is a lot easier to find or construct for a trailer too.

Reason number 4, access to the truck bed, outranks tow ability in my opinion

I like you guys. You seem normal and level headed. Have a good one.

there is one reason why I would never of my own accord haul a travel trailer over a fifth wheel. you have good Pros for wanting a travel trailer and you recognize the benefits of a fifth wheel you're an honest camper. but that one reason I mentioned comes with the use of one word the most important word on the road.. SAFETY.. what I say is the truth what I say is derived from experience sure the new travel trailers are better but I'm talking to you with 42 years of driving a truck 4 million miles no tickets no accidents. SAFETY

All good points. Makes me reconsider the thought of a fifth wheel.

Many of these you are spot on. Cost is always higher for 5th wheels than tow. 5th wheelers generally need a 3/4 - 1 ton truck whereas a tow behind can be done with a 1/2 ton. One thing that you didn't discuss was the prices between new vs used & fuel economy of tow vehicle(s). Good video!

My brother has an older (not sure how old) fifth wheel. My best friend has a travel trailer. The biggest difference I've seen between the two is their maneuverability when backing up. The travel trailer beats the fifth wheel every time, hands down.